A police chase through League City and into Houston ended along the Sam Houston Tollway when a man sought for questioning in a robbery fatally shot himself, authorities said.

Officers spotted the driver about 2:45 p.m. Tuesday along the 1700 block of W. FM 646. The Ford sedan he was driving was thought to have been involved in a recent armed hold-up in Kemah, League City police said.

The driver, who has not been identified, fled north along the Gulf Freeway then west along the Beltway 8 service road.

League City police said the man called law enforcement during the pursuit and threatened to harm himself.

Officers were able to get ahead and lay down a strip of spikes. The Ford sedan came to a stop along the toll way service road near Cullen.

League City police said they heard a single shot coming from the car once it came to a stop.

A Houston police officer did not take part in the chase but followed the League City officers. They asked HPD to fire a bean bag at the car to get the driver's attention.

"The window broke from the round that was fired," said Victor Senties, a Houston police spokesman.

Officers then moved closer and got a look inside the car.

"He (the driver) appeared to be dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound," Senties said.

Houston police homicide detectives are investigating the shooting because it happened in the city limits.

There were no other reported injuries.

Statement issued by the League City Police DepartmentApril 5, 2014

Earlier this afternoon, League City officers observed a suspicious vehicle in the 1700 block of W FM 646. The vehicle was believed to have been involved in a recent aggravated robbery in Kemah. Officers began to follow the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle realized he was being followed by police, and began to flee. Officers became involved in a pursuit which ended in Houston near the intersection of Cullen and Beltway 8 after spikes were deployed to stop the suspect vehicle. During the pursuit, officers made contact with the suspect by phone who indicated he was armed and may harm himself. Once the suspect vehicle was stopped, police heard one shot come from within the vehicle.

Houston Police Department Homicide Division is conducting the investigation at the scene.

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